Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yofort Wayne’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yofort Wayne’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; uniform and early flowering; numerous daisy-type inflorescences that are about 5.75 cm in diameter; attractive purple and white bi-colored ray florets with bright yellow disc florets; and good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and leaves maintaining good substance and color for about two to three weeks in an interior environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Yofort Wayne.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new pot-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having desirable inflorescence forms and floret colors and good post-production longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made by the Inventor in July, 1993, in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-6083 as the female, or seed, parent, with a proprietary Chrysanthemum seedling selection identified as code number YB-0864 as the male, or pollen, parent.

The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Fort Myers, Fla., in February, 1994. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form and floret colors and good post-production longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings harvested in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yofort Wayne has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yofort Wayne’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yofort Wayne’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:

1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit, very full and dense plants.

3. Uniform and early flowering.

4. Floriferous, numerous daisy-type inflorescences that are about 5.75 cm in diameter.

5. Attractive purple and white bi-colored ray florets with bright yellow disc florets.

6. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and leaves maintaining good substance and color for about two to three weeks in an interior environment.

The new Chrysanthemum can be compared to the Chrysanthemum cultivar Tijuana, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,083. However in side-by-side comparisons in Salinas, Calif., and Leamington, Ontario, Canada, under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Tijuana in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are shorter and less vigorous than plants of the cultivar Tijuana.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have smaller leaves than plants of the cultivar Tijuana.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about two or four days earlier than plants of the cultivar Tijuana.

4. Inflorescences of the new Chrysanthemum are smaller than inflorescences of the cultivar Tijuana.

5. Ray florets of the new Chrysanthemum are less numerous and smaller than ray florets of the cultivar Tijuana.

6. Disc florets of the new Chrysanthemum mature faster, but produce less pollen than disc florets of the cultivar Tijuana.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yofort Wayne’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yofort Wayne’. The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Yofort Wayne’ (left) and ‘Tijuana’ (right).

The photograph at the top of the third sheet comprises a close-up view of upper (left) and lower (right) surfaces of typical inflorescences and upper (left) and lower (right) surfaces of typical leaves of the cultivar Yofort Wayne.

The photograph at the bottom of the third sheet comprises a close-up view of upper surfaces of typical inflorescences and leaves of plants of ‘Yofort Wayne’ (left) and ‘Tijuana’ (right). Floret and foliage colors in the photographs may appear different from the actual colors due to light reflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., and Leamington, Ontario, Canada, under greenhouse conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in a 15-cm container and pinched once. Plants used for this description were grown as spray-types. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Yofort Wayne.

Commercial classification: Daisy spray-type pot Chrysanthemum.

Parentage:

Female or seed parent.—Proprietary Dendranthema grandiflora seedling selection identified as code number YB-6083.

Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary Dendranthema grandiflora seedling selection identified as code number YB-0864.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.—Seven to ten days with soil temperatures of 21° C.

Rooting habit.—Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy pot Chrysanthemum typically grown as a spray-type. Inverted triangle; stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching; about five lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex (pinching); dense and full plants.

Plant height.—About 33 cm.

Plant width.—About 48 cm.

Stem color.—Greener than 144A.

Stem texture.—Pubescent.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 7.9 cm. Width: About 5.8 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes mostly parallel to divergent. Texture: Upper and lower surfaces with very fine pubescence; veins prominent on lower surface. Petiole length: About 2.1 cm. Color: Young foliage upper surface: 147A. Young foliage lower surface: 147B. Mature foliage upper surface: 147A. Mature foliage lower surface: 147B. Venation upper surface: 147A. Venation lower surface: 147B-147C.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Daisy inflorescence form with oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disk and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.

Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flowers in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year, inflorescence intiation and development can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to two weeks of long day/short night conditions after planting followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower about 7.5 to 8 weeks later.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences and leaves will maintain good color and substance for about two or three weeks in an interior environment.

Quantity of inflorescences.—Very floriferous; about ten inflorescences per lateral branch or about 50 inflorescences per plant.

Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 9 mm. Color: Close to 141A.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.75 cm. Depth (height): About 1.75 cm. Diameter if disc: About 1.6 cm.

Ray florets.—Shape: Oblong with short corolla tube. Orientation: Straight, mostly flat; upwardly arching. Length: About 2.8 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm. Apex: Mostly rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous, satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 21. Color: When opening, upper surface: Apex purple, close to 61A-71A, with white, 155D, longitudinal streaks; base white, 155D. When opening, lower surface: Apex purple, close to 71A, with white, 155D, longitudinal streaks; base white, 155D. Fully opened, upper surface: Central longitudinal purple, close to 61A-71A, streaks, fainter towards margin; base and marginal longitudinal streaks, white, 155D. Fully opened, lower surface: Similar to upper surface, but fainter.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular. Apex: Serrated. Length: About 6 mm. Width: Apex: About 2 mm. Base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: More than 100. Color: Immature: Yellow, 3A. Mature: Apex: 9A. Mid-section: Light green. Base: White, 155D.

Peduncles.—Aspect: Angled about 45° to stem. Strength: Strong, but flexible. Length: First peduncle: About 2.5 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 5.75 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anther color: 13A. Pollen: Scarce to none. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouse conditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yofort 